Gov't continues to demand Saakashvili's extradition
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, June 3
The Georgian Dream government says it will re-appeal Ukraine for the third time to extradite the former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who is charged with several crimes in Georgia.
The United National Movement opposition and experts say that such a possibility is "very unlikely," as the new President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has reinstated Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship, and the latter may be appointed to some political post in the country.
The works on extradition of all offenders are underway and will continue. Those who have been charged will be held accountable," Georgian Chief Prosecutor Shalva Tadumadze said.
The Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Koka Katsitadze said that "neither deprivation nor restoration of his [Ukrainian] citizenship will influence the ongoing legal process.” Under former President of Ukraine, Saakashvili's ex-ally Petro Poroshenko, Georgia demanded Saakashvili's extradition twice and the appeal was rejected in both cases.
Saakashvili, who served as Georgia's third president from 2004-2007 and again from 2008-2013, is accused of the violent dispersal of anti-government mass protests on November 7, 2007, the unlawful raid of Imedi television company by riot police and the illegal take-over of property owned by media tycoon Badri (Arkadi) Patarkatsishvili.
In 2014, Saakashvili was officially charged for his role in several crimes in Georgia, however, by the time his case went through court he was already in Ukraine.
Poroshenko appointed Saakashvili as Odessa Governor in May 2015, but in November 2016 the Georgian ex-President quit the post, accusing Poroshenko of lobbying corruption. Before his appointment as Odessa Governor, Saakashvili received Ukrainian citizenship, which automatically revoked his Georgian citizenship as Georgian legislation prohibited from holding dual citizenship except under certain circumstances. Saakashvili said that despite his resignation, he would continue his fight against corruption in Ukraine along with "young and honest forces."
In July 2017 Poroshenko annulled Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship as the Georgian ex-President "hid he was charged in Georgia," the reason Saakashvili called "absurd." That year Saakashvili held rallies against Poroshenko, and in early 2018 he was deported to Poland.
Since 2017 until May 28, 2019, Saakashvili had no citizenship.
Zelensky restored the Ukrainian citizenship to Saakashvili on May 28.
